It rained a bit on our first day. Not a torrential downpour but a steady drizzle for the morning. Here we are about to walk the bridge back in time. We really liked how every few steps there was a plaque in the bridge with a year and what you would have been doing/been accepting of at different points in history until you entered the colonies. On the way back to the visitors center there were interesting tidbits as you headed back to modern times.
One of our first stops was the print shop. Much to my surprise Little Miss was fascinated with this place. We spent a good half an hour there while she asked questions.
I am seriously considering investing in some of these for the house. I think they could be quite useful.
Interesting tidbit we learned at the courthouse. The jury was locked in a room with a chamberpot and were not allowed food or water until they reached a decision. Justice was swift back in the day.
At the mock plantation the kids got to make candles. Dipping candles is not easy work. Putting it in the context that the candles were how you lit your home and you better have some fat candles for winter was daunting. Explaining how they would not have been making candles because they would be working in the tobacco field did not sit well. Candle making was left to the mistress, maybe a slave, and the younger children. You had to wait for the wax to dry in between dippings. Very time consuming. In reality you would probably have some kind of contraption that allowed you to dip multiple candles at a time but still time consuming.
The finished product.
After the candle dipping we headed off to The Palace. Quite the experience. The entryway was filled with swords and guns. As our tour guide quipped "This is what happens when you allow men to decorate." However, having all those weapons on display was an intimidation tactic for visitors. The palace also had extensive gardens and a hedge maze. Here they are in the maze.
Here we are in one of the gardens with the palace in the background.
I tortured the children with house tour after house tour. Some were taverns and some were residences. By the second home they felt that if you have seen one smokehouse you have seen them all. One day we took a special tour of the stables. We learned about the horses of the day and how to take care of them. All the horses there are breeds that would have been around in the 18th century. We learned about the Leicester Long Wool Sheep. It has wool that grows 8-10". They were put to the brink of extinction by the Industrial Revolution. The machinery was built for Merino Wool Sheep. It has shorter wool.
On our last day the kids had a grand time running around with a hoop and a stick. They didn't believe me when I said it was harder then it looked and that it was a lot of fun. Mister B proved me wrong on the harder then it looks portion by just doing it. They did admit that it was a lot of fun.
After Colonial Williamsburg we headed to DC to visit with my sister and mother for Yom Kippor. The cousins had a great time together and it is always good to see family. Now that the trip is over I am buried in laundry and exhausted. Tomorrow we will be getting back into the school groove.
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